This invention generally relates to a hose assembly for use with canisters containing pressurized material such as tire inflation material, and the like, and a method of assembling the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a self-contained combined hose and valve assembly that can be installed on a pressurized canister by an automated means, such as by a capping machine.
Various pressurized canisters marketed today utilize hose and/or nozzle mechanisms for conveying and directing the material contained in the canister to the specific location at which the material is to be used. Typically these hose and/or nozzle mechanisms are received by the consumer as a separate piece attached to the outside of the canister, and in order to utilize the hose or nozzle, the user is required to attach the hose or nozzle onto a valve on the canister that communicates with the interior of the canister. Certain types of pressurized canisters, however, are unsuitable for hose attachment by the user due to the high pressures involved and the need for a secure attachment between the hose and valve that does not leak. For example, hoses for use with self-contained tire inflation systems comprising pressurized material in a canister are typically attached to the canister valve at the manufacturer to assure a secure connection between the hose assembly and the valve. Two such existing hose assemblies are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,784 (the '784 patent), incorporated herein by reference and U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,466 (the '466 patent), issued to the inventor of the present invention, and also incorporated herein by reference.
As disclosed in the above-referenced patents, and as would be known to one skilled in the art, the connection between the hose and the canister valve used for self-contained tire inflation systems is particularly critical in that the pressures utilized for such tire inflation systems are relatively high; indeed, the pressure of such systems may be on the order of 150 to 170 pounds per square inch when the inflation system is left in a hot trunk of an automobile for storage. Further, such tire inflation systems contain materials which are potentially damaging if accidentally released, such as rubberized compounds for effectuating a temporary repair on a tire. For this reason, it is especially critical that the hose assemblies on pressurized canisters containing such materials be pre-assembled onto the valve at the factory, rather than by the user, and that the connection of the hose to the canister valve be of a durable design.
Pre-assembling hoses onto valves at the factory presents some problems, however, in that the assembly process typically must be performed by hand. Generally, the hose must be connected to the valve mechanism prior to placing the valve mechanism on the canister because the procedures for connecting the hose to the valve mechanism are best accomplished when these items are individual components not attached to the canister. To assure a secure connection, most hoses must be attached to the valve mechanism by hand. Conventional means of connecting the hose to the valve mechanism include slipping a flexible hose over a ribbed valve nozzle and then affixing the hose to the nozzle with pins, staples or the like such as is generally described in the '784 patent. The hose may also be affixed by other means such as by fitting a non-flexible sleeve over the end of the hose once the hose has been slipped onto a ribbed valve nozzle. The hose and valve assembly is then transported to a factory where it may be installed onto pre-filled canisters.
Installation of the hose and valve assembly onto the canister also typically must be performed by hand. Automated installation of the hose and valve assembly onto the pressurized canister is difficult because of the non-symmetric shape of the hose and valve assembly. Additional difficulties arise when a flexible hose is utilized, in that automated mechanisms cannot readily be modified to reliably place the flexible and/or unpredictably shaped hose and valve assembly onto a pressurized canister. In contrast, automated mechanisms, typically referred to as "capping machines," can readily accommodate the installation of valve assemblies that do not utilize such a hose assembly onto pressurized canisters.
Once the hose and valve assembly is installed on the pressurized canister, if the hose is flexible, it commonly is strapped to the side of the can with a rubber band or the like and thus readied for shipment. Generally, such process is performed by hand. The non-symmetric and/or flexible hose further causes difficulties in packaging the completed canister assemblies for shipment because it is difficult and costly to re-design automated machines to handle canisters with a rigid protruding hose or a flexible hose strapped to the side. Thus, much of the packaging of the canister must be performed as a manual process as well.
When purchased by the consumer, tire inflation canisters are commonly stored in a trunk of an automobile until the canister is needed. Even at this stage, flexible hoses attached to the outside of the canister can potentially cause problems because the hose can become entangled in other items in the trunk and become snagged, torn or the like and disabled from use.
Thus, there is a need for an improved mechanism for delivering pressurized components from a canister, such as for a tire repair and inflation system, which avoids the problems of manual assembly of the devices, manual packaging of the completed assemblies and storage difficulties presented by current tire inflation canisters and hose assemblies.